Rich in Relief

New York Mets’ southpaw starter-turned-reliever, Oliver Perez, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 12th inning of yesterday’s game against the Dodgers. Perez, activated from the disabled list Tuesday, gave up a game winning homerun to James Loney in the bottom of the 13th as Los Angeles clipped the Mets 3-2. Loney drove Perez’s 1-0 offering into the seats in right-center field, giving L.A. a walk-off victory and making a winner out of much-maligned reliever, George Sherrill. Sherrill, the Dodgers’ eighth reliever used during the game, earned his first win after pitching a perfect 13th frame. Perez took the loss for New York, his fourth of the year.
The Mets were charged with two errors during the road contest yesterday. L.A.’s Rafael Furcal singled past Mets’ shortstop, Jose Reyes, to lead of the bottom of the first. The ground ball was playable but Furcal was credited with a single. Mets hurler, Mike Pelfrey, attempted to pick-off Furcal at first base, but launched the throw wide right to Ike Davis, allowing the runner to advance to third base. Joe Torre’s Dodgers needed only a sacrifice fly to ring in a tally, and the offense did just that. Xavier Paul, the Dodgers’ number two hitter, lifted a fly to right field to drive Furcal home for the 1-0 L.A. lead.
Carlos Monasterios kept the Mets off the scoreboard with five solid innings of six hit ball. New York loaded the bases in the fourth inning but failed to cross the plate. David Wright led off the fourth with a single. The third baseman reached second on Monasterios’ balk before Carlos Beltran drew a full count walk. Jason Bay, somewhat breaking out of a batting slump, slapped a base hit to left to load the bags for New York. Monasterios retired the next two Mets to end any scoring threats.
The Dodgers tallied their second run in the bottom of the fourth. The Dodgers’ Blake Dewitt got L.A. started with a one-out triple. New York skipper, Jerry Manuel, decided it would be best to intentionally walk Garret Anderson. The move did not pay off for the Mets because Brad Ausmus singled up the middle to send Dewitt home. Pelfrey lasted five innings for New York and was removed for a pinch hitter in the sixth. The New York starter was effective despite the two blemishes. His team’s offense was ineffective, however.
The visitors finally found the plate in the top of the sixth off James McDonald. McDonald faced four batters and only recorded one out. Davis doubled to center off McDonald and was brought home on Rod Barajas’ base hit to left. Reyes earned his 35th RBI of the season when he singled home Bay in the Mets’ three hit sixth frame. Reyes’ base hit came off reliever Jack Taschner. Taschner is still looking for his first out as a Dodger pitcher. Travis Schlichting entered for the white and blue after Taschner loaded the bases. Schlichting needed only one pitch to induce a double play by Luis Castillo for the third out.
The game remained knotted at 2-2 as the teams combined to use 14 men out of the bullpen. Kenley Jansen was perhaps the most impressive of the Dodgers’ relief core. The converted catcher threw a one-two-three seventh frame, striking out two Mets in an impressive major league debut. Jansen faced the heart of the Mets’ lineup in a tie ballgame without flinching. Hong-Chih Kuo and Jonathan Broxton also set down the New York batters with scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Jeff Weaver provided the Dodgers dominant relief through two extra innings before handing it over to Sherrill. Raul Valdes, Manny Acosta, Pedro Feliciano, Bobby Parnell and Elmer Dessens were all summoned from Manuel’s bullpen. The five relievers combined to allow just two hits through six innings. L.A.’s Clayton Kershaw will face R.A. Dickey in the series finale today.

Parting Points: Thoughts and prayers go out to Bill Cowher and his family.

Congrats to the Hall of Fame inductees. It’s great to see another Expos player in there!

ARod is still sitting on 599 homeruns. I doubt he will receive any praise if he hits #600 on the road, so he better club one today at home.